Stained glass from a window at St. Giles in Cripplegate, England Lancelot Andrewes b. 1555 d. Sept. 26, 1626 Bishop Lancelot Andrewes had the difficult task of advancing Anglican ideas during a tricky time in English church history. In 1580 he was ordained a deacon; after nine years, he began parish ministry. In 1605 he became bishop first at Chichester, then Ely, then Winchester. He had earlier refused posts as Bishop of Salisbury and Ely, because Elizabeth I wanted cooperation to reduce the power of the church. He became lord almoner from 1605-1619, which means he distributed alms to the poor and needy. He then became dean of the chapels royal and was reputed to be an excellent court preacher. He criticized both Puritan reforms and Calvinist dogmas, treading that middle way of Anglicanism. Most of his work was in opposition to the Catholic church, particularly following the Gunpowder Plot of 1605, when Catholics tried to blow up Parliament and the entire royal family. If you love the King James Version of the Bible, you can thank Lancelot Andrewes, who did much of the translation. Not only did he know Greek, Latin, and Hebrew, but he also knew 18 other languages. PRAYER (contemporary language) Perfect in us, Almighty God, whatever is lacking of your gifts: of faith, to increase it; of hope, to establish it; of love, to kindle it; that like your servant Lancelot Andrewes we may live in the life of your grace and glory; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the same Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
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b. about 602 d. 690 The life of Theodore, the eighth Archbishop of Canterbury, who was from Paul's hometown in modern-day Turkey, spanned most of the seventh century. Commissioned in Rome in 669, he arrived in England several years later, when he was nearly seventy. Theodore re-staffed empty bishoprics and re-organized the dioceses under his control; many had been decimated by the effects of the plague. He also founded a school in Canterbury to teach Greek and Latin which went on to influence many, including the Venerable Bede, on whose writings we rely for a history of the English church up to his own time. In 1672 Theodore also convened the first Council of all English Churches. Church laws drawn up during his administration, as well as the structure of dioceses and parishes, managed to continue in large part, despite the upheavals of the 16th and 17th centuries, to the present day. Prayer: Almighty God, who gave your servant Theodore of Tarsus gifts of grace and wisdom to establish unity where there had been division and order where there had been chaos: Create in your church, by the operation of the Holy Spirit, such godly union and concord that it may proclaim, both by word and example, the Gospel of the Prince of Peace; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. Saint of the Day September 13 b. about 200 ce in Carthage, North Africa d. September 258 in Carthage, North Africa Born into a wealthy pagan family, Cyprian was educated in and practiced law. In 246 he converted to Christianity, and became a bishop about 2 years later. The church faced persecution under the Roman emperor Decian. Christians had two options to escape martyrdom. They could get a written excuse, called a libelli, which stated that they had sacrificed to pagan gods, as required. Or they could recant completely. Cyprian went into hiding; many believers were frightened and felt abandoned. Cyprian returned when the persecution died down, but the church faced a problem: could those who had become apostate be returned to the church? and who had the right to decide this? Cyprian took heat for disappearing, but he was minded to allow members of the laity to return, though not apostate bishops. Decisions of a council of bishops he convened set precedent for a forgiving church. Carthage suffered a severe plague epidemic during Emperor Valerian’s reign. Cyprian organized a program of medical relief and nursing of the sick, available to all residents. Most people, however, believed that the epidemic resulted from the wrath of the Roman gods at the spread of Christianity. Another persecution arose, and this time Cyprian did not flee. He was arrested, tried, and finally beheaded on 14 September 258. (Because the 14th is Holy Cross Day, he is usually commemorated on a nearby open day.) Prayer Almighty God, who gave to your servant Cyprian boldness to confess the Name of our Savior Jesus Christ before the rulers of this world and courage to die for this faith: Grant that we may always be ready to give a reason for the hope that is in us and to suffer gladly for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. |
Saints Alive!
I have been privileged to offer Noonday Prayer at my church, usually on Thursdays, which doesn’t matter because it’s on Youtube forever. [It’s amazing what can be done with a smartphone and a smart, helpful parish administrator!] The service is brief, with a place for a meditation. We usually look at the Episcopal calendar of saints, who are nearly always honored on their death dates, not their birth dates. Here is a hymn by medieval saint Hildegard of Bingen to set the mood.
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